You don’t always need to publish a guest post, pitch a journalist, or pay for a link to build your website’s backlink profile.
Business profiles can be another legitimate link-building opportunity.
Many websites allow companies to create profiles that include a website URL, company description, services, or other business information. When the platform is relevant, the profile can create an additional path between your business and potential customers.
Start With Places Where Your Business Belongs
The strongest opportunities aren’t necessarily the sites offering the easiest signup.
Look for platforms where businesses are expected to have a presence.
Depending on your business, these may include:
- Company profile platforms
- Professional directories
- Industry-specific websites
- Agency platforms
- Local business resources
- Startup databases
- Review websites
The right opportunities will depend on what your company does and who it serves.
A Profile Is More Than a Backlink
A business profile can put your company in front of people who may never discover it through your website alone.
A well-built profile can communicate:
Who you are. What you offer. Where you operate. How customers can contact you.
The website link is only one part of that profile.
This is why creating complete, accurate profiles is more useful than simply looking for websites that allow a URL.
Look Beyond “Dofollow”
A common mistake in link building is judging an opportunity solely by whether a link is dofollow or nofollow.
The bigger questions are:
- Is the platform legitimate?
- Is it relevant?
- Can real users discover your business there?
- Does the profile have genuine informational value?
- Is the business a natural fit for the platform?
A link shouldn’t be pursued simply because a website allows one.
Build Profiles Without Creating Problems
Link building can become counterproductive when businesses focus on volume.
Avoid creating profiles on irrelevant websites, using multiple versions of your business name, duplicating existing profiles, or submitting through automated networks.
Instead, build a smaller collection of accurate and relevant business profiles that contribute to your overall online presence.
Finding the Opportunities Is the Time-Consuming Part
There are free business profile opportunities available. The challenge is separating useful platforms from the thousands of websites that aren’t worth your time.
Our 20 Free Business Listing Platforms & Submission Guide gives you a curated starting point rather than making you search for opportunities one by one.
It also covers what to prepare before creating profiles and the key considerations for submitting your business correctly.
Get the 20 Free Business Listing Platforms & Submission Guide →
Want Us to Build the Listings?
If you’d rather skip the research and manual submissions, our Business Directory Submission Service can handle the work for you.
We select platforms based on your business, industry, location, and target market and focus on building accurate, consistent profiles.
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